Fred's mine project on hold

A FULL-SCALE mine in Fred Dibnah's back garden has ground to a halt - because councillors fear it is dangerous. The celebrity steeplejack started building the pithead system with a 70ft mineshaft, but neighbours complained.

A FULL-SCALE mine in Fred Dibnah's back garden has ground to a halt - because councillors fear it is dangerous.

The celebrity steeplejack started building the pithead system with a 70ft mineshaft to pay tribute to Bolton's history, but got into trouble after neighbours complained.

Planning officers recommended that permission should be granted for the Victorian-style shaft at his Grade II listed home in Radcliffe Road, Bolton.

But councillors are worried about safety and put off making a decision yesterday while they get advice from the Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency.

Around 20 of Fred's neighbours objected to Bolton council's planning committee and one branded the idea "bizarre and eccentric". Some also said the mine might make their homes subside, but a council investigation found no evidence of this.

Councillors went to see the mineshaft the day before they met and Westhoughton councillor David Wilkinson said: "My main concern is the riverbank nearby and the possibility of flooding.

Risks

"The site is also wide open and anyone could wander on. It's been on TV and if it's going to attract large number of visitors, we've got to address safety risks."

The mine features a vertical shaft, then a tunnel running downwards from Fred's garden and underneath woodland to the banks of the River Tonge. In a letter to planning bosses, neighbour Renee Oakes, said: "This is one man's dream which has no regard to adequate planning safety, noise or smoke pollution.

"This is a bizarre and eccentric proposal, not in keeping with a residential area."

But Kearsley councillor William Collinson said: "I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill, it would take half an hour to find because it's so small. It's professionally done and the buildings are in character with the Victorian style."

Fred said: "They've already got a geological survey and there's no safety problem with it as far as I'm concerned. I think it will hopefully get approved in the end."